Nursing Misconceptions

[allanina03]

What do you think are the biggest misconceptions that the public has regarding nursing and the stressful job we must perform every day?

[DusktilDawn]

i don't think the public has an understanding of what the scope of practice is regarding nurses. definately most have serious misunderstandings about nurses.

for instance:

1. med administration. alot of people think it is just providing the medication. it is soooo much more than that. assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of medication. knowing the correct dosages and questioning orders when appropriate, neither doctors or nurses are infalible. also the reason the nurse took a few minutes to provide your medication is because of the 5 rights of medications administration and triple checks she was taught in order to ensure your safety.

2. that we only do what the doctor tells us to do, without question. or we are subservient to the doctor. not true, as patient advocates we have a responsibilty to ensure the safety and well-being and that can include questioning a doctors order. there are so many independent fuctions a nurse does. the nurses plan of care is implemented based on what the physicians orders are and the patient's diagnosis. we also need to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of any care we provide. we are the ones who alert the doctors when the patient's condition changes. we are accountable for every action we perform as a nurse. funny how often we will be blamed when the crap hits the fan.

3. anyone can be a nurse. unfortunately there are issues with others who are not qualified either as an lpn or rn out there that are being referred to or referring to themselves as nurses. sorry, but if you don't meet the educational and licensing requirements, you cannot be a nurse. patient's do not understand the different roles involved in providing their care and how each role varies, cna, lpn, rn, rt,etc. nor do they understand that not all who are providing their care are not nurses.

4. they do not understand that the nurse has to prioritize her care in regards to patients. they are usually not aware of how many patients a nurse may be responsible for. we do not sit at the desk with our feet up drinking coffee while we decide to see to your needs at our convenience. the priority the nurse has to address first may not be yours!!

5. everything is the nurses' job. some aren't aware that the cna can empty their urinal or assist them to the br. if the room is not cleaned, that it is actually a houskeeping issue. if the phone, tv, a/c, heat, etc are not working it is an engineering issue. if breakfast is not to your liking it is a dietary issue. frankly i wish the extensions for these different departments was listed in the room. having to deal with things that are not the nurse's job adds to the stress. we are the first to hear any and every patient complaint.

6. nursing isn't stressful. there are alot of people who don't believe it is that stressful of a job. media plays a big part in this one. notice how not busy the nurses are on soaps/prime time tv. people are under the impression that we have sooo much time on our hands.

7.they also don't realize that nurses are often not accorded the same rights as other employees are entitiled to according to labour laws. this is perpetuated by administrators. many nurses are working 8-12hr shifts without any breaks. how many times have nurses left late for their shift, they're not even entitled to leave on time and usually are not even paid ot for leaving late or not having breaks/lunches.

8. patients don't understand the policies & procedures or legal framework we have to work under. hippa, jcaho, sbons, health practice acts, standards of practice, etc all have a say in how we do our job. for instance, in compliance with hippa we are now suppose to blacken out any name/label on ivfs or ivpbs we discard after use. as i said to my manager, "what don't you want me to do in order to this?" i wasn't kidding.

9. customer service. this is a biggie. few threads here on this issue alone. management that won't back up their staff when they are dealing with an unreasonable person. this also impedes the nurse from prioritizing care. press-ganey, another form of harassment as far as i'm concerned.

10. tolerating abuse is part of the job. verbal, physical, sexual, etc what ever type of abuse, most of us have been subjected to one form or another. for some reason, people think we should have to tolerate this despite the fact that in other professions it would not be put up with. also in many instances there is lack of support from management when abuse occurs. often the nurse is made to feel at fault, blame the victim.

i wish more education was provided to the public about the realities of the nursing profession.

[GrnHonu99, RN]

:yeahthat: Geez, you didnt leave anything for me to say. Overall just hate that people have this misconception of nursing. Mostly that ppl think we are just assistants to the MDs, we don't have our own scope of practice.

[DusktilDawn]

:yeahthat: Geez, you didnt leave anything for me to say. Overall just hate that people have this misconception of nursing. Mostly that ppl think we are just assistants to the MDs, we don't have our own scope of practice.

:rotfl: :rotfl:

Sorry about that ELKMNin, I was actually trying to exercise some self restraint on my post. Obviously it didn't work.

[LaVonneRN]

i don't think the public has an understanding of what the scope of practice is regarding nurses. definately most have serious misunderstandings about nurses.

for instance:

1. med administration. alot of people think it is just providing the medication. it is soooo much more than that. assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of medication. knowing the correct dosages and questioning orders when appropriate, neither doctors or nurses are infalible. also the reason the nurse took a few minutes to provide your medication is because of the 5 rights of medications administration and triple checks she was taught in order to ensure your safety.

2. that we only do what the doctor tells us to do, without question. or we are subservient to the doctor. not true, as patient advocates we have a responsibilty to ensure the safety and well-being and that can include questioning a doctors order. there are so many independent fuctions a nurse does. the nurses plan of care is implemented based on what the physicians orders are and the patient's diagnosis. we also need to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of any care we provide. we are the ones who alert the doctors when the patient's condition changes. we are accountable for every action we perform as a nurse. funny how often we will be blamed when the crap hits the fan.

3. anyone can be a nurse. unfortunately there are issues with others who are not qualified either as an lpn or rn out there that are being referred to or referring to themselves as nurses. sorry, but if you don't meet the educational and licensing requirements, you cannot be a nurse. patient's do not understand the different roles involved in providing their care and how each role varies, cna, lpn, rn, rt,etc. nor do they understand that not all who are providing their care are not nurses.

4. they do not understand that the nurse has to prioritize her care in regards to patients. they are usually not aware of how many patients a nurse may be responsible for. we do not sit at the desk with our feet up drinking coffee while we decide to see to your needs at our convenience. the priority the nurse has to address first may not be yours!!

5. everything is the nurses' job. some aren't aware that the cna can empty their urinal or assist them to the br. if the room is not cleaned, that it is actually a houskeeping issue. if the phone, tv, a/c, heat, etc are not working it is an engineering issue. if breakfast is not to your liking it is a dietary issue. frankly i wish the extensions for these different departments was listed in the room. having to deal with things that are not the nurse's job adds to the stress. we are the first to hear any and every patient complaint.

6. nursing isn't stressful. there are alot of people who don't believe it is that stressful of a job. media plays a big part in this one. notice how not busy the nurses are on soaps/prime time tv. people are under the impression that we have sooo much time on our hands.

7.they also don't realize that nurses are often not accorded the same rights as other employees are entitiled to according to labour laws. this is perpetuated by administrators. many nurses are working 8-12hr shifts without any breaks. how many times have nurses left late for their shift, they're not even entitled to leave on time and usually are not even paid ot for leaving late or not having breaks/lunches.

8. patients don't understand the policies & procedures or legal framework we have to work under. hippa, jcaho, sbons, health practice acts, standards of practice, etc all have a say in how we do our job. for instance, in compliance with hippa we are now suppose to blacken out any name/label on ivfs or ivpbs we discard after use. as i said to my manager, "what don't you want me to do in order to this?" i wasn't kidding.

9. customer service. this is a biggie. few threads here on this issue alone. management that won't back up their staff when they are dealing with an unreasonable person. this also impedes the nurse from prioritizing care. press-ganey, another form of harassment as far as i'm concerned.

10. tolerating abuse is part of the job. verbal, physical, sexual, etc what ever type of abuse, most of us have been subjected to one form or another. for some reason, people think we should have to tolerate this despite the fact that in other professions it would not be put up with. also in many instances there is lack of support from management when abuse occurs. often the nurse is made to feel at fault, blame the victim.

i wish more education was provided to the public about the realities of the nursing profession.

:yelclap: :yeahthat:

you said it all, thanks for a very good post!!

lavonne

[NurseforPreggers]

Personally I hate it when someone finds out I'm a nurse and they ask what area I work in .. when I tell them Labor and Delivery they say "Awww, that must be such a happy place" or "Must be fun to play with all those babies". Really chaps my rear.

[allanina03]

I completely agree...I think another concept that the public can't seem to understand is how legally responsible we are for our actions. So often they have the misconception that since we "only carry out the doctor's orders," we aren't the ones responsible for medication errors, etc. Perhaps if they understood the pressure we were under, they would have more respect for our job as a whole.

[jbeck817]

you are so f----------- right on! when i worked nights recently, patients would always be like "are you busy tonight?" or "were you just sitting around?"

and me, the person who sometimes talks without thought, goes, "yeah, all we nurses do is hang out at the desk waiting for your call." i don't know if my sarcasm came through or if they really believed me. :imbar

i don't think the public has an understanding of what the scope of practice is regarding nurses. definately most have serious misunderstandings about nurses.

for instance:

1. med administration. alot of people think it is just providing the medication. it is soooo much more than that. assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of medication. knowing the correct dosages and questioning orders when appropriate, neither doctors or nurses are infalible. also the reason the nurse took a few minutes to provide your medication is because of the 5 rights of medications administration and triple checks she was taught in order to ensure your safety.

2. that we only do what the doctor tells us to do, without question. or we are subservient to the doctor. not true, as patient advocates we have a responsibilty to ensure the safety and well-being and that can include questioning a doctors order. there are so many independent fuctions a nurse does. the nurses plan of care is implemented based on what the physicians orders are and the patient's diagnosis. we also need to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of any care we provide. we are the ones who alert the doctors when the patient's condition changes. we are accountable for every action we perform as a nurse. funny how often we will be blamed when the crap hits the fan.

3. anyone can be a nurse. unfortunately there are issues with others who are not qualified either as an lpn or rn out there that are being referred to or referring to themselves as nurses. sorry, but if you don't meet the educational and licensing requirements, you cannot be a nurse. patient's do not understand the different roles involved in providing their care and how each role varies, cna, lpn, rn, rt,etc. nor do they understand that not all who are providing their care are not nurses.

4. they do not understand that the nurse has to prioritize her care in regards to patients. they are usually not aware of how many patients a nurse may be responsible for. we do not sit at the desk with our feet up drinking coffee while we decide to see to your needs at our convenience. the priority the nurse has to address first may not be yours!!

5. everything is the nurses' job. some aren't aware that the cna can empty their urinal or assist them to the br. if the room is not cleaned, that it is actually a houskeeping issue. if the phone, tv, a/c, heat, etc are not working it is an engineering issue. if breakfast is not to your liking it is a dietary issue. frankly i wish the extensions for these different departments was listed in the room. having to deal with things that are not the nurse's job adds to the stress. we are the first to hear any and every patient complaint.

6. nursing isn't stressful. there are alot of people who don't believe it is that stressful of a job. media plays a big part in this one. notice how not busy the nurses are on soaps/prime time tv. people are under the impression that we have sooo much time on our hands.

7.they also don't realize that nurses are often not accorded the same rights as other employees are entitiled to according to labour laws. this is perpetuated by administrators. many nurses are working 8-12hr shifts without any breaks. how many times have nurses left late for their shift, they're not even entitled to leave on time and usually are not even paid ot for leaving late or not having breaks/lunches.

8. patients don't understand the policies & procedures or legal framework we have to work under. hippa, jcaho, sbons, health practice acts, standards of practice, etc all have a say in how we do our job. for instance, in compliance with hippa we are now suppose to blacken out any name/label on ivfs or ivpbs we discard after use. as i said to my manager, "what don't you want me to do in order to this?" i wasn't kidding.

9. customer service. this is a biggie. few threads here on this issue alone. management that won't back up their staff when they are dealing with an unreasonable person. this also impedes the nurse from prioritizing care. press-ganey, another form of harassment as far as i'm concerned.

10. tolerating abuse is part of the job. verbal, physical, sexual, etc what ever type of abuse, most of us have been subjected to one form or another. for some reason, people think we should have to tolerate this despite the fact that in other professions it would not be put up with. also in many instances there is lack of support from management when abuse occurs. often the nurse is made to feel at fault, blame the victim.

i wish more education was provided to the public about the realities of the nursing profession.

[DusktilDawn]

You are so f----------- right on! When I worked nights recently, patients would always be like "are you busy tonight?" or "were you just sitting around?"

And me, the person who sometimes talks without thought, goes, "Yeah, all we nurses do is hang out at the desk waiting for your call." I don't know if my sarcasm came through or if they really believed me. :imbar

I work midnights to. I used to have a neighbour who would constantly ask me how much sleep I got on my shift, and then wouldn't believe me when I told him that I didn't sleep at work. He was a retired factory worker and apparently when he worked, they used to relieve each other for "naps." I'm sure he also got his breaks and left on time to. He was also a brain-pickled idiot to boot anyway.

Believe me I've got friends and family who don't understand that as nurses we can't always leave right when our shift is offically over. Sorry Mr. Jones, but would mind not hemorraging until after I leave.

They also don't understand how we can be denied OT when we leave late. Alot of facilities have a policy that we are to inform them AN HOUR ahead of time if we are going to be OT. Mrs. Smith it's really inconsiderate of you to stop breathing 5 minutes before my shift ends.

They also don't understand why we don't get breaks or lunches. We are not provided relief to start with. If our patient's need our attention they get it, irregardless of what time it is. If our co-worker is overwhelmed, not only can they not relieve us, we usually wind up helping them (that's a good thing). Sorry Mr. Jones, I'm going to lunch so we're just going to wait to start those chest compression on you.

As Allainina ponted out, people don't understand the legal responsiblity we have. I've had patients who don't understand that what they are given for pain and how often they are given it is not up to my discretion. Also that we need orders to even give OTCs such as Maalox. I had one patient who couldn't understand why I had a problem with her having her own Vicodan at the bedside. She was screaming, "YOU F@(

Also people aren't aware of all the laws that govern our practice that we HAVE TO follow.

[RNAnna]

My favorite is that nurses are able to give medical advice in the grocery store. I live in Rural Iowa and in small towns everyone thinks that they can "get that looked at" by the nurse next door. Or the person who says "My sister-in-law says that she's having XYZ symptoms and I'm getting worried. What do you think it could be?". Don't they know that we can't diagnose?

Here's another one: I had two pts this weekend who had MRIs. Each of the families hounded me about the results. They think that once a diagnostic test or study is done, we know the answers and results right away.

There's my two cents. I think everything else was covered by DusktilDawn.

Anna

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

People don't realize that some decisions are under nursing control. That "I want to speak to the doctor" or "The doctor told me it was OK" does not fly when you want to have 3 people rooming in. The nurse makes that call, honey.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

Personally I hate it when someone finds out I'm a nurse and they ask what area I work in .. when I tell them Labor and Delivery they say "Awww, that must be such a happy place" or "Must be fun to play with all those babies". Really chaps my rear.

I feel the same way when people find out I work in the NICU. They either go one way or another - "Oh, you get to play with all those babies!" or "Oh, isn't it always so sad?" To the former, I want to say, "It's really hard to play with a baby on life support," and to the latter, I want to say, "Oh yeah, that's why I work there - constant sadness and heartbreak really floats my boat!"

I do love my job. Not every single day. But the vast majority of them.